The Kawhi Leonard trade should be well on its way to getting completed in the near future. ESPN's latest report on the scandal involving the Los Angeles Clippers and their franchise player suggested there should be nothing preventing Kawhi from relocating back to the Toronto Raptors.
Per ESPN: "The NBA has found no evidence showing LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled money through team sponsors to pay Kawhi Leonard in order to circumvent the salary cap, according to three people with knowledge of discussions between the two sides in recent days."
NBA's Mike Bass did fight back against the report. The Chief Communications Officer for the league issued a statement claiming there were 'numerous and significant inaccuracies' in what ESPN had found. Whether that is PR talk or legitimate will be seen.
What looks apparent now is that Leonard is not due for any significant penalties that would stop the Raptors from still wanting him in Toronto, according to ESPN. Should that indeed prove to be the case, the Los Angeles Lakers will rid themselves of an annoying iteration of the Clippers that has been a thorn in their side over the last seven NBA seasons.
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard trade should make them an easy out again for the Lakers
Let's take a second here do something that does not happen often: it is time to give the Clippers some credit.
Since the 2019-20 season, the first of which Leonard was a member of the Clippers, they have made the NBA Playoffs five out of a possible seven times. During that stretch, they consistently finished with a record above .500.
At best, they were a rival contender for the Los Angeles Lakers to monitor. For certain players, they may have even presented themselves as the more attractive franchise to join in Los Angeles. At worst, they were a pesky regular matchup on the schedule.
Since 2019-20, the Lakers have a record of 10-17 versus the Clippers. As mentioned above, little brother has been a pain in big brother's behind.
It never truly evolved to the huge battle for Los Angeles that some tried to hype up. The two did not cross paths in the NBA Playoffs. However, it would be giving them their due to say the Clippers were indeed a nuisance to the Lakers.
Losing Leonard should fully send the Clippers into a retool that borders on a rebuild. That makes them a team the Lakers would gladly want to see on the schedule four times. In that sense, a Kawhi trade has always been a good thing for Los Angeles' top dog. We are in the home stretch of that blockbuster finally bringing upon a comforting reality for big brother.
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